ABBY LEE: And on the top of the pyramid is Maddie.
[music playing]
Nobody seems too happy about that.
MOM: It's just predictable these days.
Isn't that sad?
Moving onto this week, we will be traveling
to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
We will be attending Masters of Dance Arts.
The group routine is entitled "The Bite."
My junior league competition team
has won seven consecutive competitions in a row.
This week, I hope they're gonna make it eight.
All right, now obviously, Maddie is not here.
She is doing a job in LA.
I'm looking for the child who can be my Maddie when Maddie's
not here.
Ladies, we're gonna have a little competition.
I want everybody to improv.
And then the moms are going to pick the kid they think wowed
them.
Here's the catch.
You cannot pick your own child.
All right, ladies--
5, 6, 7, 8.
[music playing]
2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8.
2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Jill.
Personally, my eye was drawn to Kendall.
But I know we can't pick them.
So my eye was secondly--
[laughter]
--drawn to Kalani.
ABBY LEE: Kalani, OK.
And Kira?
Chloe.
ABBY LEE: Chloe.
Chloe.
Uh, Kalani.
I-- I was watching you.
JILL: Wait, could you say the name?
I didn't hear. - Kendall.
[laughter]
JILL: Thank you.
ABBY LEE: All right, you two are out of the game.
5, 6, 7, 8, and 1--
[music playing]
--3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
3, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
OK, who's voting for Kalani?
Who voted for Chloe?
Raise your hand.
One, two three.
And who voted for Kendall?
Oh, I did.
ABBY LEE: One, two, three.
Kalani, you're out.
[sigh]
All right, we have it down to two.
[music playing]
Finish.
[applause]
Kalani.
Kendall.
ABBY LEE: Kendall.
Kendall.
ABBY LEE: Kendall. - Kendall.
ABBY LEE: Kendall.
Kendall.
ABBY LEE: Kendall.
Kendall.
What happened?
Kendall, Maddie's not here right now.
So you have been chosen to take her position.
I'm so excited.
I knew Kendall was gonna win the improv.
Abby has never given her the time of day.
And here, this kid went out and nailed it.
And now maybe since Kendall got the lead in the dance,
Abby will have to pay attention to her.
Maddie, since you weren't here yesterday,
I put Kendall in charge.
So respectfully, I want you to let her continue today, OK?
Just you worry about you and your parts, all righty?
Yeah.
5, 6, 7, 8.
[music playing]
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, 6, 7, 8.
ABBY LEE: The group routine this week is called "The Bite."
It's very dark and driven.
Kalani, you're gonna come out first.
Then my next set is Kendall and Maddie.
MOM: Maddie, get in that window.
ABBY LEE: This is when Maddie leaves.
MOM: No.
I don't think that Kendall is the lead.
I think Kalani's the lead.
Abby, wasn't that the role you just gave to Kendall?
She just earned that spot, and now you're giving it to Kalani.
Abby, you're not even pretending to stand by your word.
And I think it's ridiculous.
Maddie has the prop.
MOM: And she has a pop.
And so your eye is drawn--
I mean, the bright red apple that your eye goes to so.
ABBY LEE: Your eye is drawn to that.
CHRISTI: Where-- where is the prop?
She doesn't have it now.
Well, she goes off and gets it, and brings it on.
CHRISTI: Oh.
I kind of think Kendall should have been biting the apple
and dying, or doing the spooky which part to give Kalani
the apple.
Because she won the dance-off.
ABBY LEE: It's not cute.
It's, like, big.
And I want you to reach your teeth out and bite it.
Look in the mirror.
Yes, go.
You need to make a big deal.
It needs to be evil, like you have fangs.
Well, I think it's established.
Kendall is not the lead.
Didn't get a special part, and doesn't carry the apple.
It's just funny that the apple didn't show up
until Maddie did.
We had learned the dance without Maddie, and then Maddie came.
MELISSA: I know.
Melissa, I'm just saying. MELISSA: I'm-- I agree.
We didn't know there was an apple until Maddie was holding
it.
So Abby, I just have a quick question.
You know, when Kendall won the competition that we had,
what was her special part again?
She was the dance captain.
She still is.
OK, but before that you said, it was for a special part.
No, I didn't.
Yes, you did.
I don't think Maddie or Kalani do anything that Kendall
couldn't have done.
So what would it have hurt you to not feature Maddie for once?
Never once did I hear Kendall open heart damn mouth
and say, Miss Abby, I really want the special part.
Please let me try it.
Why would she do that?
If she wants it so bad, that's what it does.
It will be great.
ANNOUNCER: All right, up next in the juniors small group
division, this is entry number 76 entitled, "The Bite."
[applause]
[music - cat jahnke, "apple"]
I picked an apple for you to say I love you, I need to,
I want you to stay.
Oh, woes, woes pile up to your nose,
because good enough just isn't good enough.
Ba-dum-pum-pum-pum.
A brush, and a comb, and a mirror, and blade.
A horse, and a cart, and a river, and glade.
Every note, every voice, every song ever
played all collected and lovingly at your feet laid.
Oh woes, woes pile up to your nose.
'Cause good enough just isn't good enough.
Ba-dum-pum-pum-pum.
[applause]
ANNOUNCER: Top three highest elite junior small group
in third place--
Cross your fingers, girls.
ABBY LEE: Act number 56, "Ghetto Superstars."
In second place, act number 57, "Schoolin'."
[applause]
And in first place, act number 76, "The Bite."
[cheering]
[applause]
[music playing]
ABBY LEE: I played this stinkin' competition like a harp
from hell.
Woo-hoo!
I cannot be beaten.
[applause]
CHRISTI: Hey.
Good job, girls.
- Nice job. - Thank you.
Kalani!
Congratulations, Chloe.
Great job.
Thank you.
You danced really well.
CHLOE: Thank you.
But I need you to realize you're now
taking private lessons at the studio
like you should have been all the time.
No, she always did.
She takes lessons.
You need to look at that attendance
record in our studio. CHRISTI: Well, yeah.
Because you have a weird sense of when she was there.
No, I don't. Because I drive her.
So I know when I'm driving to get there.
Well, maybe she's sneaking out the back door to meet some guy.
I don't know.
Don't say that about a 12-year-old.
That's wrong.
Well, you're pushing that point.
See what her mother does?
I want to give this kid some praise.
And Satan--
CHRISTI: No, I'm doing what--
Satan destroys it!
[music playing]
And if you're not gonna improve the way Maddie's
improving, then you'll be replaced.
That's it.
There's no room for slackers on this team.